The dial has been turned up on the summer heat and the sunflower fields in Raleigh are ready to stand to attention.
I don’t think there are more beautiful flowers in the world than the sunflower, and in Raleigh, there are plenty of places to see them during their blooming month of July.
Most people know about the sunflowers at Dorothea Dix, they are visited by an estimated 100,000 people a year, but this is not the only place.
If you’re looking to walk amongst the sunniest flower in existence, avoid the crowds, and snap some iconic photos, then keep reading to find out where to see sunflowers in Raleigh.
The sunflower fields in our region all bloom at different times, with most happening in July. We’ve done our best to share predicted bloom times, but it is up to the sunflowers each year. Please do your due diligence to check with each individual place who will give you regular updates. We will also share updates on our Instagram and Facebook accounts.
Where do you go to see sunflowers in Raleigh?
Sunflowers remind us of a Maori proverb, “Turn your face to the sun, and shadows follow behind you.” Time to turn your face to these beautiful sunflower fields in Raleigh.
1. Dorothea Dix Park, Raleigh
- Peak Bloom: mid-to late July
- Location: Hunt Drive near the former soccer fields and historic cemetery between Western Boulevard and Umstead Drive.
- Cost: Free, seven days a week from dawn until dusk.
Dorothea Dix is the most famous place to see sunflowers in Raleigh. As mentioned before, 100,000 people visit this park every year to see sunflowers bloom. Since 2010, the park has been growing sunflowers in a five-acre patch, which are estimated to bloom in early to mid-July.
They are likely stay in bloom for approximately two weeks (through July), so make sure you don’t miss out and put this on your summer in Raleigh bucket list!
The sunflower field is the result of a partnership between Raleigh Water and Raleigh Parks. Every year in May, Raleigh Water preps the big field and plants the sunflower seeds, and Raleigh Parks maintains the field as they grow.
The Sunflower Field at Dorothea Dix Park used to be along the Neuse River Greenway Trail and was a sort of hidden secret. In 2018, they moved the fields to our city park so they could have views of that beautiful downtown Raleigh skyline.
The Dorothea Dix Sunflower fields now have ample space for you to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy the sunflowers at sunset. Each year, close to 100,000 seeds are planted. In 2023, they planed 280,000 Hunters Select Peredovikhave seeds, and the following year in 2024, they planted 80,000-100,000 Black Oil Sunflower Hybrid seeds.
Every year they change the variety and quantity, but you can always expect it to be the biggest sunflower field in the Triangle!
What’s more is Dorothea Dix don’t just have a field to wander through, they also have a cool hammock area set up in the pine forest on the edge of the sunflower field. Scores of hammocks are strung between the trees for you to swing in. You’ll love this touch of serenity in the shade as it does get hot here.
In 2023, we visited the sunflowers at around 8am on a weekday morning so we didn’t need them. Thankfully, there were few people around, but the sun wasn’t in the most ideal position for photos.
Afternoon/sunset is a better time to visit Dorothea Dix to see the sunflowers as the sun will be shining on the fields and the skyline behind them. The park is open from dawn until sunset, so come early to get your own photos without other people in them. They also have temporary restrooms set up.
There are walking paths between the sunflowers. PLEASE stick to the paths and protect and preserve the sunflowers! Do not pick them either.
If it’s been raining it can get slippery so wear appropriate shoes. And there are signs up on the perimeter of the field offering sunflower facts as well as how this initiative is helping the environment and promoting sustainability.
You’ll see its beneficial pollinator services immediately with the presences of hundreds of bees and the odd butterfly (the bees won’t harm you but be careful).
Raleigh is a member of Bee City USA and celebrates National Pollinator Week in June.
These sunflowers are not planted just for your pretty Instagram picture, but for a particular purpose. Each year, the city harvests the sunflowers to produce gallons of biodiesel for tractors, trailers and farm equipment.
Where to park your car for Dorothea Dix
On weekdays, use the gravel parking lot off Hunt Drive and the parking lot near the Magnolia Room, 1800 Umstead Drive. On weekends, you can use any parking lot at Dix Park.
Best park entrances to use are the Hunt Drive entrance from Western Boulevard and Blair Drive entrance from Centennial Parkway.
You can also reach the sunflower fields from walking along the Reedy Creek Greenway Trails and Rocky Branch Trail, Umstead Drive, from Dorothea Dix Park.
Port-a-johns will be available near the sunflower field and Magnolia Room.
HOT TIP: Cycle the Art to Heart Trail which connects the two Raleigh sunflower fields: Dorothea Dix Park and The North Carolina Museum of Art. Make it a Sunflower Extravaganza. (Specifically the Rocky Branch and Reedy Creek greenway trail sections)
We have all the information you need for the bike trail – which is one of our favorite Raleigh things to do.
2. North Carolina Museum of Art Sunflower Field, Raleigh
- Peak Bloom: Possibly end of July to Sept (last year it was end of Oct so a little scattered)
- Location: 2110 Blue Ridge Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607
One thing about the two major sunflower fields in Raleigh is they are paired with beautiful views and other things to appreciate while visiting.
The sunflowers at North Carolina Museum of Art also feature a magnificent background of artwork and sculptures. The sunflowers at NCMA feature artwork and sculptures as a background to viewing.
Like Dix Park sunflowers, the 2.5-acre sunflower field was first planted in 2018. It is located near the intersection of the Blue Loop and Meadow trails.
You will see it as soon as you walk into the Museum Park grounds from the parking lots.
I actually liked this sunflower field best because of the colorful cosmos and zinnias wildflowers sharing the fields with the sunflowers. It adds a perfect artistic flair.
Opening in 2021, the Museum Park has a second sunflower planting located below the Ellipse. There is also plenty of space in the museum grounds to enjoy a picnic while visiting the sunflowers or trails you can enjoy on a short hike.
3. John Chavis Park, Raleigh
- Peak Bloom: Early to Mid July
- Location: 505 MLK Jr Blvd by the track field.
The first to sunflowers in Raleigh to bloom for 2025 are at the John Chavis Park in Raleigh. It’s a small field but has the sunflower beauty you’re seeking!
4. Hill Ridge Farms, Youngsville
- Peak Bloom: mid to end of July
- Location: 703 Tarboro Road, Youngsville, NC
Hill Ridge Farms in Youngsville have a Sunflower Festival in the summer. You can pick sunflowers here and you get a free sunflower with admission.
They also have hayrides, a playground, splashpad, and food trucks. Please call ahead of time to check the current status of their sunflowers!
5. Dogwood Farms Belews Creek
- Peak Bloom: mid July until late August
- Location: 8096 Belews Creek Rd, Belews Creek, NC
Dogwood Farms is a well-known farm for growing poppies and sunflowers. They have acres of sunflowers – in fact, they have the biggest field in the Piedmont.
You can either grab a blanket and watch the sun set behind the fields or visit the u-pick flower fields and pick out your favorites, which costs $1 per stem. Call ahead of time to check the current status!
NOTE: They currently state they are closed after their June blooms, but to check back in August. It’s unclear as to whether they mean for sunflowers or other blooms!
6. Dewberry Farm, Kernersville
- Peak Bloom: Estimated opening med – late June for 2025
- Location: 2585 Dewberry Farm Ln, Kernersville
Dewberry Farm is a private farm for weddings and private events, but in the summer it opens a u-pick sunflower field/ stand.
It will be a ticketed event running from mid-June until mid-July, to combine it with their lavender picking season.
They will be hosting classes and workshops, have old fashion swings, and tractor rides. You can ride in Dewey the truck, walk along the trails and small hedge maze, see farm animals, and much more.
In 2025, they will be planting 17 varieties of sunflowers, as well as other flowers and wildflowers, and four varieties of lavender.
The event will open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00pm until dark and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00am – 1:30pm, and 4:00pm until dark.
Tickets cost $13.50 for adults and $5.00 for children, which includes picking three sunflowers, and you can purchase tickets online here. This is a time slot event, and you have a two hour window to enjoy the farm and pick your sunflowers.
7. Firefly Farm, Hillsborough
- Peak Bloom: Already blooming in May!
- Location: 4911 Hunt Road, Hillsborough, North Carolina 27278
Firefly Farm is a popular wedding venue and U-Pick farm which is open for the 2025 summer sunflower season from May until the end of August! They are open Wednesday – Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00pm and Saturdays from 9:00am to 8:00pm.
While sunflowers don’t bloom in May, they have other flowers you can pick – you simply buy your ticket online, check in at the barn, pick up your basket and scissors and walk amongst the flower beds picking your own flowers.
The farm also has horses, miniature donkeys, goats, and chickens, plus a picnic hangout spot and a pond walk. ick flowers.
Tickets for the U-Pick service is $25 per ticket, but this is for the cost of your basket of flowers, and the ticket can be shared with friends or family.
In 2025, sunflowers were blooming early in May! Check their Instagram before you visit to see how many are blooming.
8. Kens Produce and Garden Center, Garner
- Peak Bloom: late July, late August, and late September.
- Location: 3175 Benson Road, Garner, NC 27529
With three flowering seasons, the best place to see sunflowers if you missed peak blooming season in July is Kens Produce and Garden Center.
As well as having a huge sunflower field to walk through, there is also a Corn Maze, and you can pick one sunflower with your admission ticket.
Tips for visiting Sunflower Fields in Raleigh
Before you go rushing off to the fields with your cameras and your zest for nature, here are a few things to remember when visiting.
- Call ahead to confirm opening hours and if they are in bloom! Check their websites and social media accounts for updated information.
- Stay on the trails, as walking between the sunflowers can damage the stems.
- Do not pick flowers unless you’re at a U-Pick field.
- Wear sturdy footwear. Although there are trails, they are usually a mix of dirt, grass and some rocks and can be slippery and muddy after a rain shower.
- No off-leash pets. Some fields don’t allow pets, such as Dewberry Farm, so check the website before bringing your pooch.
- Sunflowers bloom in July, which means you have to battle the unforgiving summer heat. Wear sunscreen, and stay hydrated.
- Wear bug spray. Summer is also mosquito season here in Raleigh, so come prepared and spray up.
- Wear close-toed shoes. Sunflower seeds often fall on the ground which attracts wildlife such as squirrels and other rodents. You’re unlikely to encounter any, but it’s just nature of the beast that the one day you wear flip flops you feel something scutter over your toes!
- Don’t take the sunflower seeds! Remember these are not grown for your amusement, and sunflowers are a source of income for farmers. Taking the seeds is stealing!
- Watch out for bees. Sunflowers are a massive pollinator habitat for insects such as bees and butterflies. Be mindful of them when you’re walking around as they are dainty insects (and no one likes a bee sting!)
FAQs about visiting Sunflower Fields
When is the best time of day to see sunflowers in Raleigh?
Aim to visit either at sunrise or early morning when the sun isn’t so harsh (especially for professional photographers), or mid-afternoon or evening when the sun is setting, as this casts a golden glow on the sunflowers and illuminates their colors better. Avoid midday as this is the hottest and brightest part of the day.
What month do sunflowers bloom in Raleigh?
Sunflowers bloom in early to mid-July, and bloom for about two weeks, so you will want to time your visit for the first two weeks of July.
Fun Sunflower Facts
I loved reading a few of the sunflower facts in Dorothea Dix Park. Here are some of them for you:
- Phytoremediation is a process whereby the sunflowers break down and remove contaminants in the soil, water and air!
- Sunflowers are heliotropes. Young flowers face east in the morning and follow the sun during the day. As they age, the mature sunflowers slow down until they eventually just face the East.
- Sunflowers can attract up to five times more pollinators because they warm up faster than westward facing plants.
- It takes 100-110 days for sunflowers to grow to full bloom.
- The sunflower plant is native to North America (I never knew that).
- The head of the sunflower is a combination of a thousand tiny flowers.
- A sunflower can self pollinate to reproduce. The stigma can twist around to reach its own pollen and it makes a clone of itself.
- The tallest sunflower on record was produced in Germany and grew over 30 feet tall.
Before you go
I love sunflowers, not just for their bright yellow personas, but the way they keep us connected to awe: How do they know to follow the sun like that? They are just tuned into the power of living the Circadian rhythms.
Raleigh is surrounded by farms that allow visitors to admire their own sunflower fields (and a few other attractions), but the ones on this list are ones we have personally visited or know are open to the public.
Before you go, it’s a good idea to check out their websites and social media platforms for updated information on peak blooming, viewing times and extra events.
I actually recommend phoning as, honestly, most of their websites are terrible with little information and are rarely updated.
Watch Our Video of the Sunflowers in Raleigh
Press play below to watch this short video of the sunflower fields. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for more Raleigh videos.
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Hello,
Thank you for all the helpful Raleigh-area info!!! The title of your sunflower fields article states there are 6 to go see but while reading the article, I only see 5 sunflower fields listed. I could be missing something ~ can you please help?
You are right! Not sure what happened there but thanks for alerting us. There are only five sunflower fields. I think maybe last year there were six and when we updated the post we forgot to update the title. Sorry about that! Hope you’ve been able to see some! The NC Art Museum ones should be blooming soon.